Caribbean Court of Justice judges accuse President of authoritarianism

Five of the six sitting judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) have accused the court's president, Justice Winston Anderson, of governing in an “authoritarian” and “dictatorial” manner. Internal correspondence obtained by the Trinidad Express reveals a deep divide within the regional court, with judges alleging that Anderson has attempted to manipulate judicial panels and override judicial independence.

One specific allegation involves the case of Guyana's opposition leader, Azruddin Mohamed. Justice Peter Jamadar reported an “attempt to influence the opinions of colleagues that differed from yours in an authoritative manner” regarding the matter that dismissed Mohamed’s final appeal against U.S. extradition proceedings. Justice Chile Eboe-Osuji also alleged that Anderson “tried single-handedly to override judicial independence and long-standing CCJ conventions.”

The controversy reportedly began following an email regarding a proposed judicial dress code, which escalated into broader grievances regarding leadership style and unilateral decision-making. The Office of the Guyana Leader of the Opposition has called for an “appropriate independent examination” of the court's deliberations, stating that the integrity of the process must be maintained.